Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon ranks among the top ten universities in the world for computer science in the QS 2026 subject rankings, and it is one of the few places to treat the subject as a school in its own right rather than a department inside engineering or science. Founded in Pittsburgh in 1900, the university built its reputation in computing early and never lost it.

The School of Computer Science covers the full breadth of the field, with especially deep strength in artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, and human-computer interaction. Its robotics work in particular has long been among the most influential anywhere.

That breadth is what students come for. Carnegie Mellon offers specialised undergraduate and graduate paths that few universities can staff, and its graduates are heavily recruited by both research labs and industry.

Admissions

Carnegie Mellon admitted 3,859 of 34,867 applicants for autumn 2025 entry, around 11 per cent, but that figure averages colleges that admit separately, and applicants to computer science apply to the School of Computer Science itself. CMU stopped publishing school-level rates, so the SCS figures that circulate on admissions forums are estimates rather than official numbers. Enrolled first-years in the middle range scored 1500 to 1560 on the SAT, and admitted SCS students pick from the school’s five majors in the spring of first year.